A Malaysian has been elected as the new chairman of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) for the 2015-2017 term. Kishva Ambigapathy (pic), 25, was elected as the new team leader at the recent CYC's Youth Forum in Valetta, Malta, making him the first youth from Asia to hold the post. Describing the appointment as "a proud moment" for Malaysia, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it was a global recognition to Malaysian youth leadership.

"Ambigapathy is the present and the future leader, the country needs to produce more young leaders like him," he told reporters after the breakfast dialogue with state leaders on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) today. As CYC represents national youth bodies from 53 country members, the appointment will see him to leading more than 1.2 billion Commonwealth youth under 29 years old. Zahid was also optimistic that Kishva, an engineer, would contribute to the Commonwealth as well as enhance the country's image on the international stage. Kishva, who hails from Penang, holds an electronic engineering degree from Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2010 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in political global studies at Durham University in England. Commenting on his appointment Kishva, among others, promised to look into how CYC could play its role in various issues including climate change, youth entrepreneurship and participation in terrorism. Kishva, who is also the Tanjung Malim MIC branch youth leader, said during a brief meeting with Zahid, he had expressed his intention to relocate CYC's secretariat from Sri Lanka to Kuala Lumpur. – Bernama, November 28, 2015.